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Issue No 33                                                                                                     March 2010
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In this issue...
- Do we have enough engineering skills for digital fieldbuses?
- Hey there! EE Publishers is using Twitter
- The disturbing state of the electrical contracting industry
- Control and supervision of electrical installation work
- The devastating effect of a small mistake compounded
- Guidelines for the completion of the "new" CoC
- Eseta and discretionary grants
- Latest wiring code amendment published
- New monthly ECA competition
- Energy efficient lighting design competition
- Lighting up Cape Town Stadium
- Modern light for Lake Victoria
- Tubular products plant remains a global player
- Intelligent transport
- Induction motor control enables energy saving
- Sugar waste provides rich source of renewable energy
- Low hanging power lines are dangerous
- ECA News
- Company, product, project and service news

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EE Publishers
 
P O Box 458
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Copyright 2010

EE Publishers (Pty) Ltd
All rights reserved
Rob MacKenzieDo we have enough engineering skills for digital fieldbuses?
by Rob MacKenzie, MD, Endress+Hauser

Ever wondered why it costs more to maintain plant instrumentation than it did to purchase it in the first place? In truth it is our engineering competence which is preventing the successful implementation. The result is incorrectly-designed and often incorrectly-installed networks... (more)
EE Publishers on TwitterHey there! EE Publishers is using Twitter...

Twitter is a free service that lets you keep in touch with other twitterers and receive "The best from EE Publishers" through the exchange and sharing of quick, frequent short messages and links. Join today to start receiving our tweets on your desktop PC, notebook PC or mobile.
The disturbing state of the electrical contracting industry
Letter to the ECA
 
Having witnessed how electricians operate in other countries I'm horrified at the state of the electrical industry in SA. The general standard of work is very poor and many of our call outs are to fix problems created by others - unqualified people, unsupervised people, illegal or foreign 'electricians'... (more)
Control and supervision of electrical installation work
by Chris Greager, ECA  
 
Is it acceptable for a registered person only to come on site once the installation has been completed? This is a very important question, and one that all electrical contractors must consider, especially when tendering or quoting for work as the cost of supervision must be built in... (more
The devastating effect of a small mistake compounded
by Charl Cilliers, SEIFSA
 
This article explains why contract price adjustment is becoming more important than ever before. In spite of the unpredictability in the economy, companies and suppliers are still entering into long-term partnering agreements or contracts (i.e. three years or longer)... (more)
Guidelines for the completion of the "new" CoC
Information from ECA

As per the latest directive from the Electrical Contracting Board (ECB) of SA, the Certificate of Compliance for electrical installations (CoC) as published in the Electrical Installation Regulations 2009 must be issued. This COC must be accompanied by a "test report" (TR), which must be in the format as published in SANS 10142-1... (more)
Eseta and discretionary grants
by Bernie Carr, with response from Eseta
 
What happens if I identify a likely candidate for apprenticeship on 1 May 2010? Is he precluded from obtaining any grants? I would have thought that that once the level of grants was decided on by the Eseta an employer should be able to apply at any time during the year for a grant. I would encourage the Eseta to expand on its grants policy... (more)
Latest wiring code amendment published

Information from SABS 

 

The latest amendment (Amendment 7) of the Wiring Code (SANS 10142-1) has been published, and is now available, both in printed and CD-ROM formats.  Willa Breed, Chairperson of SABS SC 67F: Electrical installations, says: "The only difference from amendment 6 is to change the Certificate of Compliance (CoC) to a test report... (more)

New monthly ECA competition
Information from ECA
 
"What's wrong with this installation?" is the theme of a new competition run by the ECA(SA). Readers are invited to take a careful look at a picture, see how many faults they can spot, and then send a list of the faults to Ugeshnee Govender at the ECA. If theirs is one of the correct entries drawn, they could win a super prize donated by Eurolux, HellermannTyton, Major Tech, Radiant... (more)
Energy efficient lighting design competition
Information from Eskom
 
This year's competition is not just for luminaires - it's for lighting systems too. Eskom's Energy Efficient Lighting Design Competition for 2010 challenges both the novice and the seasoned professional to come up with their own, unique fusion of flair and functionality, efficiency and aesthetic appeal in designing an energy-efficient luminaire (or in plain language, a lamp!) and more... (more)
Lighting up Cape Town Stadium
Information from Gibb 
 
The lighting installation at the Cape Town Stadium in Green Point is a noteworthy achievement. An image of the illuminated stadium brought to mind a massive, glowing spaceship, with its glass ceiling - a first in the world - enhancing the almost unearthly spectacle... (more)
Modern light for Lake Victoria
Information from Osram
 
On the shores of Lake Victoria, people have been using kerosene lamps to catch fish and light their homes for generations. But this dirty fuel poses a serious threat to health and the environment. A pilot project is being conducting that offers local residents energy-saving lamps that provide a clean, safe lighting source far from power grids - without straining household budgets... (more)
Tubular products plant remains a global player
Information from Wonderware
 
Meeting strict new standards can place huge stress on an operation. To remain a player in this global marketplace, ArcelorMittal's Vereeniging Tubular Products plant had 12 weeks to upgrade its production facilities to qualify for new quality criteria from the American Petroleum Institute (API)... (more)
Intelligent transport
by Ladislav Sobotka, Skoda electric, and Ralf Herrmann, Semikron

Power electronic systems are used in day-to-day applications. The sophisticated technology behind the scenes, however, often goes unnoticed. As an example, take public transport vehicles such as the underground, trams or trolley buses: the only time the systems that run these vehicles are noticed is when they fail to work properly, as when people get trapped in a stalled metro train... (more)
Induction motor control enables energy saving
Information from CBI-electric: low voltage
 
Motors generally consume up to 60% of the total energy bill, so a good way  to begin any energy cost savings programme is to pay close attention to induction motor control. The applications in which energy savings can be achieved include pumps, fans, compressors, hoisting systems and conveyors with high duty cycles... (more)
Sugar waste provides rich source of renewable energy
Information from Zest Motors and Drives 

As natural fossil fuel resources are rapidly depleting and energy costs ever increasing, it is critical for South Africa to address the use of biofuels to supplement the energy sources currently being used. Brazil has managed very successfully to turn waste from the sugar harvesting process (bagasse) into energy... (more)
Low hanging power lines are dangerous
Information from Eskom
 
Low hanging power lines are one of the major causes of injury and death in communities and have cost the lives of many people in the last two years, says Eskom's Public Safety Division.Besides the loss of life that has resulted through people coming into contact with power lines, hundreds of people and animals have suffered electrical burns or been maimed through electrocution... (more)

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